Gov. Phil Murphy tells parents at town hall that school funding shortages are 'unacceptable'

David Levinsky @davidlevinsky

Wednesday

Apr 4, 2018 at 10:55 PM

The division of school aid of school funding has been a hot one since Murphy unveiled his proposed $37.4 billion state budget and has dominated discussion in recent state budget hearings with parents and officials from underfunded districts like Chesterfield and Kingsway testifying that the aid amounts Murphy's plan propose still short-change their students and taxpayers.

WILLINGBORO — Students, parents and school officials from underfunded Chesterfield and Kingsway Regional have spent their spring break attending legislative budget hearings to argue for a fairer division of state funding for their schools.

Wednesday evening they got to make their case face-to-face with Gov. Phil Murphy, the man they hold largely responsible for disappointingly low school-aid increases both districts are due to receive from the governor’s proposed state budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

They wound up with a very public promise from the new governor that he would work to address their funding shortfalls.

“It is completely unacceptable. I just want to make sure you know that I think it’s completely unacceptable,” Murphy said during the town hall at Willingboro’s Kennedy Center community building after he was asked about the funding shortages that have plagued Kingsway in Gloucester County, Chesterfield and several other underfunded districts from the area.

The division of school aid funding has been a hot one since Murphy unveiled his proposed $37.4 billion state budget and has dominated discussion in recent state budget hearings with parents and officials from underfunded districts testifying that the aid amounts Murphy’s plan propose still shortchange their students and taxpayers. The aid to New Jersey schools is often crucial to funding school programs and also plays a key role in determining how much property taxes homeowners must pay.

The schools complain that while Murphy’s budget calls for an additional $283.6 million in formula aid that increases funding to 94 percent of the school districts, their districts are receiving only nominal increases despite years of underfunding, while others continue to receive more money than what the state’s funding formula prescribes.

Several of those schools’ parents, students and staff members were at the town hall hoping to confront the governor about the proposed aid numbers, which included a paltry $41,000 increase for Chesterfield, widely known as the most underfunded school district in the state.

Murphy, who showed off what has become his trademark mix of wisecracks and policy talk during the event, didn’t shy away from the group, who were seated in the front row near the center stool where the governor held court.

During his opening remarks, he also touched on the school funding issue, saying that his predecessor, Republican Chris Christie, had underfunded the formula used to determine school district aid by about $9 billion during his eight-year tenure and that his administration was committed to ramping up funding over the next four years.

“We felt let down by you,” Kingsway school board member Jennifer Cavallaro said after being handed the microphone during the question-and-answer portion. She pointed to the school children with her.

“Can you please tell them what are you going to do to work with the Legislature to ensure that our kids have the resources that they desperately need to have the stronger and fairer New Jersey you campaigned for?”

Ever smiling, Murphy told the group he was thrilled to be able to speak to them directly.

“I love the fact you’re here, I love the fact that we’re having the conversation face to face and it’s not on social media and I’m not a million miles away,” he said, before launching into an explanation about the $9 billion funding shortfall during Christie’s tenure and the difficulty in digging out of that hole and the need to make some alterations to the formula.

“The point is it has to change, right?” he said. “The point is, it’s not acceptable.”

Further pressed by Cavallaro and others, he committed to working with the Democratic-controlled Legislature to make changes.

“I want to make sure you say we finally have somebody who will work with the Legislature,” he said, telling one parent who broke down in tears: “I’m all in. Count me all in. You have my word on that. We’re going to do everything we can to get this done.”

What that will mean is unclear. Murphy said he planned to speak to legislative leaders Thursday, and that the issue of the school funding numbers would be discussed.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-3rd of West Deptford, and other lawmakers have already promised that changes in the school funding distribution would be made, but Murphy has yet to commit to redistributing aid.

Sweeney has said that redistribution, which began this year under an agreement lawmakers reached with Christie last spring, must continue.

Murphy said he doesn’t want to pit school districts and communities against one another.

“That’s the narrative of the last guy,” he said. “I care about you all and you all are the folks who are clearly sucking wind. I’m having a meeting literally tomorrow with the Legislative leadership and this is a big topic.”

Chesterfield Committeewoman Andrea Katz, who helps lead a coalition of schools and towns advocating for school funding changes, said she would judge Murphy by his actions rather than his words.

“We’ll have to see where this goes, but we don’t have a lot of time,” she said, noting that school district budgets are required to be approved this spring. “I hope he got the message. But we’ll have to see from his actions.”

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Follow Us

Advertise

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
Burlington County Times ~ 116 Burrs Rd., Suite B, Westampton, NJ 08060 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service